Kasich Claims 2nd In New Hampshire: ‘The Light Overcame The Darkness’

Ohio Gov. John Kasich touted the optimistic tone of his campaign in his speech celebrating his second place finish behind Donald Trump in the New Hampshire GOP primary.

“We never went negative,” Kasich said, arguing that “tens of millions” of dollars were spent by other campaigns to attack him.

“Maybe, just maybe, we are turning the page on a dark part of American politics because tonight, the light overcame the darkness of negative campaigns,” Kasich said. Trump won the New Hampshire primary handily, leading the pack by nearly 20 percentage points according to returns midway through the evening.

Kasich was one of a number of governors who bet big on New Hampshire, and his second-place finish will help him position himself — at least in the short-term — as the GOP candidate who can take on Trump.

“Tonight we head to South Carolina, and we will move through South Carolina, all across this country, and we’ll end up in the Midwest and you just wait,” Kasich said. “Let me tell you, there’s so much that’s going to happen. If you don’t have a seat belt, go get one. We’re going to shake this country from top to bottom.”